


feral

by bespokenboy



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Smut, also wolf au-ish, domestic fluff kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-13 13:54:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3384089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bespokenboy/pseuds/bespokenboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abandoned in the forest and raised by wolves, Jongin is more animal than man when Joonmyun finds him. But Joonmyun is determined to teach him how to be a human.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. part i

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: use of tranquilizer/kidnapping, polyamory/threesome

 

 

  
_  
THE DAILY NEWS_  
January 14, 1997

  
  
Local boy reported missing for at least a week by grandmother. Kim Jongin is three years old and has a tan complexion. He was last seen during grandmother's visit over a week ago wearing a blue onesie. The boy's parents have been brought in for questioning. If you have seen a child of the description above, please contact the police immediately.   
  
  


 

 

  
_THE DAILY NEWS_  
December 11, 2011

  
  
Over a decade has passed since Kim Jongin went missing at age three in 1997. His parents have been charged with neglect, narrowly avoiding a verdict of manslaughter. The boy’s late grandmother spent the last fourteen years searching for Jongin. She passed away two days ago, and the county sheriff has decided to close the case. Kim Jongin, who would be age eighteen in January, has been declared officially dead.  
  
  


 

 

  
_THE DAILY NEWS_  
May 22, 2015

  
  
Local residents have reported seeing an unusual creature on the outskirts of the forest. The creature is described as tall, shadowy, and feral-looking with straggly black hair. An eyewitness claims that it almost looks like a human, but she saw it running back towards the forest on all fours. Similar accounts have been reported over the last decade or so, but this is the first time the sheriff’s office has received so many reports within a short time frame. Could this be simply a local legend, or is there really something (or someone) lurking in the forest?  
  
  
  
  
“Baekhyun,” Joonmyun declares, setting his newspaper down. “I think I know what I want to do for my birthday.”  
  
The scientist’s partner, Dr. Byun Baekhyun, balks. “H-hyung, you can’t be serious,” he stammers. “I mean, I’ll do anything for you, but… I don’t think either of us are equipped to hunt down a wild beast. If there even is one out there, I mean.”  
  
Baekhyun, a behavioral psychologist, and Joonmyun, a specialist in neuroscience, have been conducting research together since graduate school. Their academic lives eventually dovetailed into their personal lives, and it was as much out of convenience as it was affection that they decided to move in together. Since obtaining their doctorates, they’ve amassed enough income for a house in the countryside, in which Joonmyun has built his own laboratory. He prefers conducting experiments in the quiet isolation of a rural landscape, while Baekhyun drives into the city on weekdays to run his own clinic. Joonmyun is always coming up with new ideas to investigate, and Baekhyun is always there to meet his challenge, offering valuable insight and assistance. Their domestic life is as intimate as it is intellectual, and Joonmyun couldn’t be happier.   
  
“Do you really still think that it’s an animal out there, Baekhyun?” Joonmyun demands. “Even after all the research we’ve done on recent eyewitness testimony and the case of Kim Jongin? All the evidence points to my hunch, which is that the boy, Jongin, is still alive, and he’s out there.”  
  
“I...I don’t know, hyung. It could be him, or it could be nothing. It’s like the newspaper said, it could just be a local legend. It’s a boring town, they need to come up with something to make life interesting. And even if it is him...it’s dangerous. There haven’t been many studies on this, but in every case of complete isolation from social contact, whether in humans or animals, the effects are profound and quite frankly disturbing.”  
  
Joonmyun’s stern brow softens as he says, “That’s why I want to find him. I want be successful in what no other scientist has achieved. I want to rehabilitate Jongin and bring him back into society as a fully functional human being. I want to save him.”  
  
“And you also want to take a peek at his brain structure, no doubt,” Baekhyun says wryly.   
  
“Well, there are significant scientific implications in being able to study someone who has grown up in total isolation from human contact. You would know. Just think of all the theories you could prove with Jongin as evidence.”  
  
The lure of discovery curls around Baekhyun’s conscience, threatening to obscure his sense of right and wrong, though he tries to swat it away. Among scientists, Jongin’s case is known as the “forbidden experiment.” There is potentially so much to learn from the effects of complete social isolation, but deliberately raising a child without human contact would be morally horrendous. Still, it would be impossible for Baekhyun’s curiosity not to be piqued by Jongin, who has lived for eighteen years without seeing a human. Assuming that Joonmyun’s hunch is correct, of course. But Joonmyun’s hunches are rarely incorrect. If they search for the feral man and come up with nothing, Joonmyun will be disappointed, though it is unlikely that Joonmyun will give up on the chase very easily. If they take the man into their home, it is inevitable that their lives will not be the same.   
  
Despite Joonmyun's claims that looking for Jongin would be the only birthday present he would need, Baekhyun insists on having a proper celebration. After a candlelit picnic under the stars, Joonmyun is blindfolded and led by the hand into his laboratory, where Baekhyun reveals a brand new, sparkling white MRI scanner. There’s a red ribbon tied into a bow taped on the side, and a note that reads, “ _Happy birthday, hyung!_ ”  
  
There are tears blurring Joonmyun’s vision as he tries to form words. “Baekhyun...you did not buy this for me…” he says, clutching tightly onto the psychologist’s waist.  
  
“You’ve always had to rent the hospital’s, and I know you would rather have one of your own.”  
  
“But this must have cost a fortune!”  
  
“So does renting one! It adds up over time, you know?” He punches Joonmyun lightly in the shoulder. “There’s no need to underestimate my paycheck, hyung.”   
  
Joonmyun kisses him on the cheek and hurries over to place his hands on the smooth curve of the tube. His eyes dart across the surface, as though trying to memorize every inch of the machine.  
  
“It’s beautiful,” he whispers. “Thank you so much.”  
  
“You’re welcome,” Baekhyun replies, grinning. He wraps an arm around Joonmyun’s shoulders. “You’re gonna let me use it now and then, right?”  
  
“Yeah! Of course! You can use it whenever you want.”  
  
“I’ve always wondered,” Baekhyun murmurs, “what sex would look like inside an MRI machine.”  
  
“I think it would look exactly how you imagine it would,” Joonmyun scoffs, playfully pushing Baekhyun away. “And if you’re thinking about testing that hypothesis, the answer is no. I’m not contaminating my new scanner to make MRI porn.”  
  
“Kidding, hyung. You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”  
  
“S-shut up.” Joonmyun curls his hand threateningly around the nape of Baekhyun’s neck. “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing it normally though. In a bed, or something.”  
  
“Sounds good to me,” Baekhyun smirks.  
  
  


 

 

_DR. KIM’S LOGBOOK, DAY 1:_

  
  
We started our search for J a week after my birthday had passed. During those days in between, we bought supplies and investigated the village closest to the forest, where sightings of the creature were most frequent.   
  
I got into an argument with B about whether or not to buy a cage for J. He insisted that it would be dangerous to let J roam the house, especially while we're sleeping. I convinced him against buying one by reminding him of how much our Byul hated it when we tried to put him in a cage. He conceded, and we cleared out a guest bedroom instead. However, we did purchase chains in case we would need to restrain him, though the thought of using them makes me sick to my stomach.   
  
After interviewing several villagers who claimed to have seen J on the outskirts of the forest, we met Y, a wolf hunter who has ventured into the darkness himself. He offered to help "capture the beastly thing," as he put it. Though a bit crude in his manner, Y was very tall, broad, and muscular. He ended up being of invaluable help when we finally did encounter J.   
  
Looking back, we would have been completely hopeless if we did not have Y's insight or strength. All we had brought with us was my eagerness, B's caution, and a few tranquilizer darts. We would not have even known that J was living among wolves, not alone in the forest as we had thought.   
  
Once we had entered the forest, Y howled like a wolf, startling us. But soon, an echoing howl pierced the silence, and we followed Y as he located the wolf pack. We came to a clearing, where an astonishing sight greeted us.   
  
A crowd of wolves was gathered in a circle, and in its center, a young man appeared to be in combat with a wolf. They seemed to be wrestling with each other as the other wolves watched on. I almost rushed forward to help the man, but Y laid a hand on my back and told me they were playing with each other. Soon enough, the man was knocked over onto his back, pinned down by the wolf's claws. And then the wolf ran its tongue along the man's cheek.   
  
The crowd began to disperse, and at the moment when most of the wolves' backs were turned in retreat, Y seized the opportunity to knock the man back down. I was too frozen in shock to assist him, but Y was able to hold the man down as B inoculated him with the tranquilizer. And then all three of us carried him back to our vehicle. It was nightfall by the time B and I returned to the laboratory.   
  
  
  
  
"What's that you're writing?" Baekhyun mumbles. He yawns and lazily tips his chair back.   
  
"I'm keeping track of the experiment in a logbook," Joonmyun explains. "Especially to record details of Jongin's growth and progress."  
  
"You're writing a lot, considering that the subject has been unconscious for the past five hours. We haven't even begun any classical conditioning yet."  
  
"I'm including personal reflections, too! And other non-scientific things."  
  
"Personal, non-scientific things, huh? Can I read?"  
  
Baekhyun makes a reach for the logbook, but Joonmyun holds it close to his chest.   
  
"Absolutely not. Maybe you can read it once it's included in my biography."  
  
"Sure, hyung," Baekhyun laughs. "Guess I'll have to wait until then."  
  
As they're speaking, Jongin is still unconscious, resting on the bed they prepared for him. They had administered enough tranquilizer to knock out a bear, not knowing how large or strong Jongin would be. Joonmyun is surprised by Jongin’s build, but pleasantly so.   
  
Jongin's abdomen and limbs are flowing with muscles, probably from years of wrestling and running with wolves. His shoulders are broad, and he's tall, much taller than either of the scientists. Not as tall as Yifan, the wolf hunter, but heavy enough that all three of them were necessary to haul him out of the forest and into their van. Jongin’s skin is bronze and clear, glowing despite the dirt caked over it. And even though his hair is long and straggly, the way it falls away from his face while he's sleeping reveals that Jongin is a very handsome man. He’ll be even more handsome once Joonmyun gives him a bath and a haircut.   
  
Joonmyun’s heart skips a beat when he hears a low murmur and sees Jongin’s full lips move slightly. And then the man’s eyes flutter open, and Joonmyun sees up close that wild, savage look in Jongin’s eyes. It’s thrilling and terrifying all at once, and Joonmyun’s blood pulses through his body when Jongin slowly sits up and bares his teeth in a snarl. He swings his legs over the edge of the bed and promptly faceplants onto the carpeted floor. Apparently the effects of the tranquilizer hadn’t completely worn off, because Jongin has not yet regained complete control of his limbs.  
  
“Amazing,” Baekhyun mutters in awe. “An average man would remain unconscious until tomorrow morning, at least.”  
  
“Just how much tranq did you use?” Joonmyun protests.  
  
The sounds of soft whimpering draw their attention back to Jongin, slumped on the ground. They half carry, half drag his lean, muscular body to the bathroom. Joonmyun can’t imagine what Jongin must be thinking, assuming that he has retained normal brain function. What they were doing could be considered tantamount to kidnapping, but Joonmyun tries to rationalize it, convincing himself that they are helping him. Joonmyun, at least, wanted to help him. There was also the curiosity involved, the question of whether an individual who spent his entire life separated from human contact could still be considered human. After seeing the feral look in Jongin’s eyes, Joonmyun is starting to have some doubt. He’s never seen any human with that kind of look before. It went beyond simply fear, anger, or confusion. It was something irrevocably animalistic.   
  
At the sight of the running water, Jongin stiffens and lets out a low growl. His weight is still being supported by Baekhyun as Joonmyun prepares his bath, but Jongin lowers his hips into a defensive stance. He glares angrily at the water, suspicious of the sight. Baekhyun tightens his grip on Jongin, looking at Joonmyun with alarm.   
  
“He’s never seen a bath before, but he’ll be okay once he recognizes what it is,” Joonmyun says reassuringly. “It’s just a familiar thing in an unfamiliar setting.”  
  
Baekhyun relaxes his grip, and Jongin makes a break for it, bounding on all fours towards the bathtub. He leaps into the tub, sending a tidal wave crashing over the edges of the tub. A cute, puzzled frown creases Jongin’s forehead when he feels how warm the water is and how little space he has to splash around in. He dunks his head under the water and then shakes his head, flicking droplets of water from his wet hair. Jongin’s lips curl into an open-mouthed grin with his tongue stuck out, looking overjoyed.  
  
“Look how quickly he figured it out!” Joonmyun exclaims proudly.   
  
Even though Joonmyun is clearly pleased, the sight of Jongin panting happily like a dog is chilling to Baekhyun. His mannerisms are almost identical to a dog’s—or more accurately, a wolf’s. What other consequences of growing up among wolves would there be?  
  
In an inscrutable display of bravery, Joonmyun strips naked and slips into the tub with Jongin. The feral man watches him uneasily, until Joonmyun also dunks his head underwater and shakes the water from his hair, copying Jongin’s actions. Jongin relaxes after that, even allowing Joonmyun to run his fingers through Jongin’s matted hair.   
  
“Soap?” Joonmyun asks, and Baekhyun brings him a bar of soap, trying to ignore uneasy feeling in his stomach.  
  
Joonmyun demonstrates by rubbing the bar of soap all over his body and holding out his arm to show Jongin the bubbly lather. The younger man leans in and tentatively licks Joonmyun’s arm, but his face screws up in disgust immediately afterwards. He recoils when Joonmyun tries to approach him with the soap.  
  
“Maybe next time,” Joonmyun sighs in defeat.  
  
It looks as though Joonmyun is enjoying himself, even though there ends up being more water on the bathroom floor than in the bathtub. Baekhyun can’t complain about seeing Joonmyun happy, despite his wariness of Jongin. He can tell that Joonmyun thinks that Jongin is adorable from the way that he grins as he massages shampoo into Jongin’s scalp, gently running his fingers through his thick hair. But Baekhyun is wary of how Jongin is unpredictable, wild, how he’s taller and stronger than Joonmyun and could easily break the smaller man in half. He doubts that Jongin even has a sense of morality, or empathy.   
  
With Baekhyun’s help, Jongin is able to stand upright as Joonmyun rinses him with the showerhead. Even though Jongin has regained motor control for the most part, he’s still unable to stand without support. Baekhyun realizes with a strange kind of dread that Jongin must have completely forgotten how to stand on his feet or walk. It just serves as a reminder of how different Jongin is from the way humans are supposed to be.  
  
Jongin is terrified at first by the sight of the large, fluffy white towel as Joonmyun wraps it around him, but he calms down as Joonmyun gently pats him dry. There's confusion mingled with delight in Jongin's eyes throughput the entire process. He enjoys being toweled off, but he doesn't know what the towel is, or why he enjoys it.   
  
And then comes the difficult part.   
  
"Baekhyun, can you get pajamas for Jongin and me? Take them to Jongin's room, please. Oh, and don't forget to pick up Byul from Kyungsoo's house! I can't wait to see what he thinks of Jongin!"  
  
"What am I, your lab assistant?" Baekhyun grumbles. Joonmyun turns to pout at him, and Baekhyun reluctantly obeys.   
  
Walking is still unnatural for Jongin, though Joonmyun tries to help him stand up and move his feet. But he ends up giving in and letting Jongin crawl on his hands and knees, like a dog. Joonmyun is surprised by how compliant Jongin has been. Aside from the moment when he woke up with a flash of wildness in his eyes, Jongin has been mild, cooperative. Docile, even. Whereas an animal would have acted purely on instinct, lashing out in defense, Jongin seems to understand his situation on some level. He seems to know that Joonmyun's touch is gentle, that he means Jongin no harm.   
  
Joonmyun dresses himself in his flannel pajamas as Jongin watches on curiously. He shows him how to pull the trousers on, first one leg and then the other. Meanwhile, Jongin is kneeling on the floor, observing with wide eyes as Joonmyun’s hair tufts through the collar of his shirt, followed by the rest of his face. Jongin’s skin is prickling with goosebumps, but he doesn’t seem to mind. As Joonmyun approaches him with a pair of boxers in one hand and a shirt in the other, Jongin seems to have second thoughts about putting clothes on.   
  
He scrambles away on his hands and knees, but the door is locked, and so he’s trapped. Joonmyun tries to force one of his feet into the underwear, but Jongin resists, and Joonmyun narrowly avoids a kick to the stomach. For a few seconds, they circle each other, daring one another to make a move. Joonmyun lunges towards him, and Jongin pounces. He wrestles Joonmyun into the ground, nearly knocking the wind out of his lungs. Joonmyun realizes that Jongin must think that he’s under attack, and that he’s fighting for his life.   
  
Physically, Joonmyun is no match for Jongin. He can't restrain him through sheer physical force, so he tries to gently subdue him. Joonmyun stops struggling and just holds onto Jongin, wrapping his arms firmly around his broad torso. He lets Jongin jostle him a bit, until Jongin realizes that Joonmyun is no longer a threat. He stops and watches Joonmyun with wariness slowly dimming the panic in his eyes.   
  
Jongin still visibly on edge, so Joonmyun leans in to kiss him softly on the cheek, hoping to convey his good will. They have no way of communicating verbally, but kisses are a universal language. Jongin seems to understand that Joonmyun means no harm, because he nuzzles apologetically into Joonmyun's neck and licks his cheek.   
  
"Humans don't lick each other on the face," Joonmyun laughs, even though he knows that Jongin can't understand. "We'll have to condition that habit out of you."  
  
Jongin paws gently at Joonmyun's face and bumps his nose against his cheek.   
  
"You want another kiss, huh? Maybe after you've put some clothes on."  
  
He manages to subdue Jongin enough to clothe him with boxers, though he has no luck with the shirt. But it's almost summer, so it'll be enough to sleep in. Besides, they just need to start out by taking baby steps.   
  
An interesting development is that Jongin seems to love kisses. Somehow, he intuitively understands that kisses equate to affection. That human part of him that innately craves physical affection is still intact, which is both relieving and fascinating to Joonmyun. He can’t help but wonder what other human characteristics managed to survive.  
  
Joonmyun hears the soft thud of a car door being slammed outside, followed by his front door swinging open. Soon, he hears the squeaky yips of Byul, their fluffy white pet dog Baekhyun rescued from the shelter. When Baekhyun is at the clinic, Byul is the only one to keep Joonmyun company at home.   
  
"Let's go meet Byul!" Joonmyun gushes.   
  
He opens the door, and the dog immediately springs towards his owner. Hearing Byul's barks of greeting, Jongin barks back. It's shocking, because the sounds ripped out of his lungs sound exactly like a wolf's. Byul freezes for a moment in confusion, and then barks back happily. He trots over to Jongin, who is grinning at the sight of the dog.   
  
Watching Jongin play with Byul is not like watching a human play with a dog, but rather, a dog playing with another dog. Byul seems confused by Jongin's behavior, but Joonmyun can tell that he's happy to have a playmate.   
  
“I brought some fried chicken home,” Baekhyun calls out from the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”  
  
“Are you guys hungry?” Joonmyun asks Jongin and Byul excitedly. “Come on, let’s go eat with Baekhyun!”  
  
He scoops Byul into his arms, and Jongin follows behind him.   
  
It seems that Jongin is more interested in eating scraps on the floor with Byul, but Joonmyun manages to ease Jongin into a chair at their dinner table. Jongin glances uneasily at Baekhyun, who pointedly avoids eye contact. Meanwhile, Joonmyun makes a show of tearing chunks of meat from the chicken wings with his teeth, and Jongin follows suit.   
  
"Isn't this delicious, Jongin?" Joonmyun exclaims, ignoring Baekhyun's quiet scoff. Joonmyun holds up a piece of chicken and pronounces the word "chicken" slowly and clearly, trying to teach the word to Jongin. He does it again, but Jongin is too preoccupied with gnawing at a bone to pay him any mind.   
  
"It's no use," Baekhyun says. "He's long since passed the critical period of neural growth where learning language is still possible. Those parts of his brain were never developed, so it would be impossible for him to learn how to speak. You're a brain scientist, you should know that."  
  
"But there must have been some degree of lingual development!" Joonmyun protests. "He wasn't abandoned until he was three years old, most babies learn how to speak long before then. There has to be some chance of rehabilitation."  
  
"If you say so," Baekhyun sighs. "You've got some more pressing matters at hand, though. Like the fact that he can't walk on two feet."  
  
"I don't know what your problem is, Baekhyun, but you're being awfully negative. The point of this experiment is to see how much we can socially rehabilitate Jongin. It's no help if you've given up before you've even started trying."  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry. I'm just tired, I think. Do you need my help getting Jongin back to his room?"  
  
"No, no, just go to bed if you're tired. I understand."  
  
Baekhyun places his dish and mug in the sink and kisses Joonmyun on the cheek before whispering, "Goodnight."  
  
Jongin's eyes follow Baekhyun as the man's lips leave Joonmyun's skin before sauntering away into the dark hallway. And then he fixes his eyes on Joonmyun, without touching another bite of food.   
  
"You're done, too, huh? Let's get you ready for bed, too, then."  
  
As much as Joonmyun tries to brush his teeth with all the enthusiasm and delight he can muster, it's not enough to make Jongin voluntarily stick his own toothbrush into his mouth.   
  
"Ah, but you don't want to get any cavities, Jongin. Please open your mouth for me, so I can brush your pretty teeth...there you go, good boy."  
  
Frothy pink foam spills from Jongin's lips as Joonmyun scrubs bubblegum flavored toothpaste all over Jongin's teeth. He holds Jongin's jaw firmly with one hand as he angles and pokes the toothbrush with the other. Jongin's eyes are wide in bewilderment as they glance all around, and he clutches tightly to the hem of Joonmyun's shirt.   
  
"Now spit it out, like this." Joonmyun demonstrates, and he beams when Jongin follows his example. He kisses Jongin's cheek for being so obedient, and the younger man grins, pink dusting his cheeks.   
  
Jongin doesn't comply with being tucked into bed until Joonmyun whistles, and Byul comes trotting into the bedroom. Jongin woofs, and Byul answers with a squeakier bark before Joonmyun tosses him onto the mattress. And then Jongin finally agrees to laying down in his bed with Byul curled up beside him. He kicks off the sheet that Joonmyun tries to cover him with, but Joonmyun waits and returns after Jongin has fallen asleep to cover him with the cloth.   
  
Baekhyun is still awake by the time Joonmyun finally finishes putting Jongin and Byul to bed. He's staring straight ahead, and his hands are folded in his lap.   
  
"I thought you were going to sleep," Joonmyun accuses as he climbs into bed next to Baekhyun. He immediately slips a leg between Baekhyun's, tangling their limbs.   
  
"I couldn't fall asleep. I went back to the kitchen to load the dishwasher while you were trying to get Jongin into bed."  
  
"Ah, thank you, Baekhyun. I was going to do it tomorrow morning, that's a big help."  
  
"I have to go to work tomorrow, and you'll be busy with Jongin. It was nothing, really."  
  
"Thank you," Joonmyun murmurs again, truly grateful for all the little things his boyfriend does for him. "Jongin's been responding so well so far. I think we're going to have great results from him."  
  
"Joonmyun...please, just promise me you'll keep yourself safe, okay? Jongin is a wildcard, literally. We have no idea of what he's thinking or what he might do. If he lashes out at you, please remember that your safety comes first."  
  
"Of course, Baekhyun, I know what I'm doing. Jongin has been so good so far, though. He hasn't shown any violent tendencies. He's really so docile, not to mention cooperative."  
  
"This is just a theory, but I suspect that Jongin is this way because abandonment made him socially vulnerable. As in, he'll act this way to anyone who provides him with warmth and comfort, whether they're wolf or human."  
  
"So?" Joonmyun asks, no longer in the mood to discuss the topic. He skims his lips along Baekhyun's jaw and kisses the corner of his lips. He grabs onto one of Baekhyun's hands and slips it under the hem of his shirt, sliding it up his torso. Joonmyun sighs softly when Baekhyun gets the cue and slips Joonmyun's pajama pants down to his ankles.   
  
He kisses Joonmyun slowly, but jerks him off with quick flicks of his wrist. And then Joonmyun's hips are lifting from the mattress, and his face is contorting with something between pleasure and discomfort as Baekhyun slips a slick finger into his opening. Joonmyun keens when another finger is squeezed in and hisses when Baekhyun starts pressing into his prostate.   
  
"Baekhyun, are you going to...?" he gasps as the younger male inserts a third finger.   
  
"Shh, no, it's okay, I'll just use my hands."   
  
Truthfully, the thought of doing it with Jongin just down the hallway has killed Baekhyun's mood. But Joonmyun doesn't seem to mind, and it's Baekhyun's job to make Joonmyun happy in every regard.   
  
"Mmm...mhmm..."  
  
Baekhyun keeps stroking him through his orgasm until Joonmyun is twitching with oversensitivity and pushes his hands away.   
  
"I'm going to go wash my hands, I'll be right back," Baekhyun tells Joonmyun, handing him a box of tissues from the bedside drawer.   
  
He pads softly through the hallway and into the bathroom. He nudges the faucet and tries to rinse his hands as quietly as possible. On his way back to the bedroom, he stops by Jongin's room to check on him.   
  
When he opens the door, Baekhyun almost yells because Jongin is sitting straight up in bed, wide awake. He must have heard Joonmyun through the walls. Jongin bares his teeth in a snarl at the sight of Baekhyun and leaps off the bed. Baekhyun slams the door before Jongin can pounce on him.   
  
The heavy thud of the door and the muted pounding of Jongin head-butting the door from the other side have Joonmyun sprinting into the hallway.   
  
"What's the matter?" he pants. "What happened? Is Jongin okay?"  
  
"He just tried to attack me."  
  
"I'm sure he was just scared. I hope we weren't too noisy, it might have woken him up." Joonmyun knocks gently on the door before swinging it open.   
  
Upon seeing Joonmyun, Jongin scampers on all fours to the man's side and presses his cheek to Joonmyun's bare thigh, nuzzling his skin. Joonmyun giggles and pats Jongin's head, feeling his soft, clean hair. Jongin clamps his teeth onto the hem of Joonmyun's oversized sleep shirt and tries to drag him into the room.   
  
"Jongin!" Joonmyun laughs. "What are you doing?"  
  
Baekhyun curls an arm protectively around Joonmyun's waist, holding him close to his chest. Jongin glares and barks at him.   
  
"Jongin..." Baekhyun says with warning in his tone. He uses the same stern voice he uses when speaking to Byul if the dog has done something wrong.   
  
"Hey, it's okay." Joonmyun peels Baekhyun's hands away from his body to crouch down to Jongin's eye level. "You were just scared, weren't you, Jongin?"  
  
There's no way that Jongin can understand what Joonmyun is saying, but Jongin's mouth hangs open in a grin, and he nuzzles Joonmyun's cheek. He crawls behind Joonmyun and nudges him on the back, pushing him towards his bed.   
  
"What's this?" Joonmyun giggles. "Did you get lonely?"  
  
Joonmyun ends up switching places with Byul and sleeping with Jongin for the rest of the night, while Byul curls up at the foot of Baekhyun's bed.   
  
  


 

 

_DR. KIM’S LOGBOOK, DAY 2:_

  
  
Today I began training J to stand up and to walk, as well as various other basic skills such as holding items in his hands instead of his mouth. Though this will be without a doubt a long process, J seems very eager to learn and is responding better than expected.   
  
  
  
  
"Jongin, stay still for just a little bit longer for me, okay? There we go!"  
  
With a final snip of his shears, Joonmyun scissors away one last errant strand of hair. He steps back to admire his handiwork. Now that his hair is neatly trimmed, Jongin's boyish good looks are clearly visible. Jongin's chestnut eyes twinkle inquisitively as he watches Joonmyun through his dark eyelashes. His smile drips with sunshine, and Joonmyun has to turn away to protect his own eyes. It's all too much to take in at once, especially since Jongin still hasn't learned how to put on a shirt yet.   
  
Joonmyun's tone is a bit gruffer as he tries to dislodge those thoughts from his mind. "Come on, let's go play outside with Byul." Jongin is attractive, yes, but there can't be anything good that could possibly come out of harboring these feelings for an experimental subject. That's all he is.   
  
Still, Jongin is almost nothing like what Joonmyun had expected. Instead of a wild, savage creature, a  _beast_ , Jongin is sweet-tempered, docile. A human being who clumsily shows his affection for Joonmyun.   
  
He watches as Jongin and Byul chase each other in circles in the backyard. The grassy yard is spacious enough to mimic freedom, but its fence is too high for them to truly run free. Science is all about creating illusions.   
  
The man and the dog have much more in common than what could be expected at first glance. Byul, too, had been an experimental subject. Baekhyun had conducted a continuation of Pavlov's studies on classical conditioning that required nearly a dozen young pups. Joonmyun had cared for the animals over the course of the study, and it broke his heart to drop them off at the shelter once the experiment was complete.   
  
Baekhyun had noticed how Joonmyun was on the verge of tears as he gave each puppy one last pat on the head. He lingered at one pup in particular, the runt of the litter, who was smaller than the rest, but made up for it in feist.   
  
They left the shelter in silence, Baekhyun driving and Joonmyun quietly dabbing at his eyes in the passenger seat. The very next day, Baekhyun drove back to the shelter and adopted the small puppy Joonmyun was especially fond of. Joonmyun woke that morning to wet, slobbery kisses from Byul, Baekhyun grinning at the edge of the bed.   
  
Baekhyun had never really been an animal person, not in the way Joonmyun has always been, but he gradually came to adore Byul. Maybe he'll come to like Jongin, too, Joonmyun wonders.   
  
Joonmyun scribbles down observations about Jongin's behavior in his lab notebook. He looks up to see Jongin springing towards him. Byul is just behind him, moving his tiny legs furiously to keep up. Jongin stops just in front of Joonmyun's lap and settles his chin on Joonmyun's knee.   
  
"You want to be pet, huh?" Joonmyun laughs. "At least you're learning how to communicate in some way or another." He slides his fingers through Jongin's hair, and the younger man closes his eyes and rests his cheek in Joonmyun's lap. It makes Joonmyun's throat constrict to see him acting in such a tender, affectionate way that crosses over from animal-like behavior to being human. How many times had he rested his own head in Baekhyun's lap just like this, as Baekhyun stroked his hair, his cheek?  
  
Byul's jealous barks interrupt his train of thought, and Joonmyun laughs, bending over to pick him up. He hadn't foreseen this aspect of the experiment, a competition for his affection between Jongin and Byul, but he can't say that he minds.   
  
  


 

 

_DR. KIM’S LOGBOOK, DAY 3:_

  
  
B had the entire day off, so we performed MRI scans to examine J's brain structure. The results were surprising. Compared to those of similar cases, J's cerebral cortex is relatively intact, though the linguistic centers of his brain may have sustained damage. B described J's condition as "salvageable."  
  
  
  
  
"Napoleon! Einstein! William James!"  
  
With each exclamation, Joonmyun shows Jongin a giant flash card with the figure's portrait and his name printed in large lettering beneath it. Jongin barks happily after each one, and Joonmyun can practically see his tail wagging.   
  
After returning home from grocery shopping, Baekhyun finds Joonmyun sitting cross-legged, trying to teach Jongin facts and figures through rapid-fire flash cards.   
  
"Joonmyun," Baekhyun says warily. "I don't know if that's the best way to go about teaching him."  
  
"But you said that his ability to learn probably hasn't been impaired. And wasn't there a recent study showing how effective this method of learning is?"  
  
"You know how I feel about those studies."  
  
"Fine, but look at how much he's enjoying it! He hasn't stopped smiling since we began!"  
  
"I think he's responding to the tone of your voice more than anything else. You're enthusiastic, engaging him. Of course he loves it. But that doesn't mean he's actually learning anything."  
  
"What do you suggest, then?" Joonmyun pouts, childishly throwing down his flash cards.   
  
"We should start with the basics." Baekhyun kneels down next to Joonmyun, his body position mimicking Jongin's. He presses his finger to Joonmyun's chest.   
  
"Joonmyun," he says slowly and clearly, maintaining steady eye contact with Jongin. "Joonmyun."  
  
He watches Jongin's eyes for a flicker of understanding, but Jongin is only frowning slightly. "Joonmyun," Baekhyun repeats. And then, to Joonmyun, "Reward me, hyung,"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Observational learning. Even if he can't quite understand the behavior, he's more likely to repeat it if he sees the model, me, getting rewarded for it."  
  
"I know what observational learning is, dummy."  
  
"Just checking," Baekhyun snickers as Joonmyun leans in to kiss him on the cheek.   
  
Seeing the kiss jolts Jongin with what Baekhyun hopes is comprehension. Jongin's eyes are wide and alert now, and his shoulders are starting to tilt towards Joonmyun. They've got his attention.   
  
Baekhyun reaches for Jongin's hand, who flinches, but allows Baekhyun to guide it to Joonmyun's chest. To the scientists' surprise, Jongin automatically curls his hand into a fist and extends his index finger. He jabs his finger into Joonmyun's sternum and looks at him expectantly.   
  
"Wow, Jongin!" Joonmyun beams.   
  
"Wait," Baekhyun interrupts him. "Don't reward him yet, not until he learns the entire behavior."  
  
Once again, Baekhyun presses his finger into Joonmyun’s chest and says his name. Joonmyun kisses him on the cheek, and Jongin narrows his eyes, finally realizing why he isn’t receiving what Baekhyun is getting.  
  
With his fingertip digging a bruise into Joonmyun’s chest, Jongin begins trying to form Joonmyun’s name on his lips. “Joo...Joon…”  
  
“You’ve got it, Jongin!” Joonmyun encourages him, nearly bouncing up and down in excitement.  
  
Jongin’s voice is low and husky, ragged from disuse. The only sounds that had passed his tongue have been feral, animalistic noises, but Joonmyun can tell that Jongin has a potentially lovely voice.   
  
“Joon...myun…” Jongin rasps out, and Joonmyun all but throws his arms around him, planting an elated kiss on his cheek.  
  
Both scientists are astonished by how quickly Jongin is learning, or re-learning, how to speak. Granted, Jongin is only willing to say Joonmyun's name at this point, uninterested in learning anything else for today. But the implications are huge. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. part ii

  
  


_DR. KIM’S LOGBOOK, DAY 17:_

  
  
It's been two weeks since J's language breakthrough. He's demonstrated interest in learning new words, but we haven't been able to teach him how to speak in simple sentences. It may be far too early for that. However, B and J have been getting along quite well. I don't feel uneasy leaving the two of them alone, since B is becoming more accepting and J is much more responsive than when they first met.   
  
While I went to get my glasses fitted today, B continued conditioning J to walk on his feet. He rewarded him with high-fives, which J, interestingly enough, seems to enjoy. However, I still stand by my belief that the greatest reward is love. J has the coordination to walk, but it is clear that it still feels unnatural to him. He loses some of his agility by standing up, but somehow he still carries himself with more grace than the average man.   
  
I also bought him some clothes, as none of the pants we've given him have reached below his ankles. We were finally able to convince J to wear a shirt, but once he put it on, it was difficult to take it off of him when it was time to bathe. It's all a work in progress.   
  
  
  
  
Jongin almost doesn't recognize Joonmyun when he returns home from running errands. The man is wearing a pair of round eyeglasses, which Jongin regards with suspicion when Joonmyun approaches with his arms outstretched.   
  
"What do you think, Jongin?" he asks, calming Jongin down with the sound of his voice.   
  
His sense of hearing and smell have been sharpened by living among wolves—it was necessary for him to have the ability to recognize members of his pack from those senses alone. Joonmyun wraps his arms around his shoulders, and Jongin relaxes into his embrace. Joonmyun may look funny, but he still sounds and smells like Joonmyun.   
  
Byul seems to be facing a similar conundrum, because he, too, needs to be assuaged into accepting Joonmyun's new appearance. Baekhyun, however, takes to it immediately.   
  
"You look, really, wow," Baekhyun says, speechless. Seeing Joonmyun in glasses melts his heart in a way that he can’t quite explain.  
  
"Wow? I look dumb, don't I." Joonmyun takes his glasses off and frowns at them. "I knew I should have picked a different style."  
  
"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Baekhyun guides the glasses back onto the bridge of Joonmyun's nose. "By wow I meant you look so good I don't even know what to say."  
  
He means it. The glasses make Joonmyun look soft but somehow sharp at the same time. It brings to Baekhyun's attention once again just how perfect and lovely Joonmyun's facial structure is. Even after years of knowing each other, the high slant Joonmyun's sloping jaw, his wide, intelligent forehead, and smooth pink lips still take Baekhyun's breath away.   
  
"I can't believe I need bifocals," Joonmyun grumbles. "I'm so old."  
  
"Hyung, you have a long way to go before you even reach thirty," Baekhyun reminds him. "That's not old at all."  
  
"Yeah, yeah."  
  
"Besides, you still act like a baby sometimes," Baekhyun laughs.   
  
Joonmyun in glasses is irresistible, so much more so than what Baekhyun could have possibly been prepared for. He doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to stand not having time alone with Joonmyun. They haven’t been able to sleep together since taking Jongin into their home, as he has refused to fall asleep without Joonmyun there. After two and a half weeks, however, Baekhyun finally manages to convince him to be a little firmer with Jongin.   
  
“He’s not going to be able to keep you forever,” Baekhyun argues. “You might as well try to teach him to be independent now before he gets too used to it.”  
  
When Baekhyun finds Joonmyun in their bed that night, Joonmyun is reading with his glasses pushed down to almost the tip of his nose. He's bathed in warm lamplight, and his lips are parted softly, mouthing along slightly to the words on the pages. The sight of him makes Baekhyun's heart beat faster.   
  
"Baekhyun, what–" Joonmyun's words are muffled when Baekhyun presses his lips to Joonmyun's. He takes the book out of Joonmyun's hands and places it on the nightstand, so he can claim territory on Joonmyun's lap instead.   
  
His fingers tangle into Joonmyun's hair, and Joonmyun's glasses start to fog up from their hot, panting breaths. Suddenly, Joonmyun pushes Baekhyun away.   
  
"I forgot to brush Jongin's teeth!" he gasps.   
  
"Joonmyun–"  
  
"I have to get him into the habit!" Joonmyun explains hastily, jumping out of bed. His eyes are wide, and his hair is rumpled in the back. Baekhyun thinks it's unfair how cute his boyfriend is sometimes.   
  
As Joonmyun sprints out into the hallway in his pajamas, Baekhyun picks up the book he had been reading. It's a text on Victor of Aveyron.   
  
"Jongin!" Joonmyun calls out quietly, pushing the door open. The shaft of light from the hallway falls on Jongin's bundled body. A pair of dark, alert eyes peek out from under the quilt. "Are you awake?"  
  
He approaches and sees a small bundle of fluff next to Jongin's body. Even though Jongin no longer needs Joonmyun to sleep with him, he still prefers having Byul with him. Byul prefers it, too.   
  
"Sorry to drag you out of bed, Jongin, but I completely forgot about brushing your teeth," Joonmyun explains. "It'll just take a minute."  
  
Jongin watches curiously as Joonmyun leads him by the wrist to the bathroom. Now that Jongin is walking on his feet the majority of the time, Joonmyun has to stand on a stool in order to reach Jongin's lips with a toothbrush.   
  
In his haste to return to Baekhyun, Joonmyun forgets to dispense bubblegum toothpaste on Jongin's brush, giving him his own mint flavored one instead. Jongin spits it out immediately in disgust as the harsher flavor assaults his taste buds.   
  
"Ah, sorry, Jongin," Joonmyun apologizes again. "Let's try this one more time."  
  
Jongin frowns, but allows Joonmyun to push the bristles past his lips one more.   
  
"Sorry that took so long," Joonmyun says, climbing back into bed.   
  
"Quit apologizing, I could hear you saying sorry to Jongin from all the way over here."  
  
Joonmyun almost says "sorry" again, but his lips twist into a smile instead. Baekhyun pulls Joonmyun into his lap, plucking the glasses off the bridge of his nose and placing them onto the nightstand right next to the book. The circular frames keep watch as Baekhyun kisses Joonmyun and continues to take things off his body, one by one.   
  
“What’s this?” Baekhyun asks, frowning at a large, purpling bruise on Joonmyun’s hip. “How did you get that?”  
  
“I, uh, bumped into something,” Joonmyun says, and it’s almost a lie. He tugs Baekhyun’s shirt off, not giving him the chance to respond.  
  
“Maybe it’s a good thing you got those glasses, then. I hope you’ll watch out a little more carefully in the future.”  
  
Joonmyun reaches out to turn the lamp off, but Baekhyun stops him. Partly because Joonmyun looks amazing with slick red lips and mussed hair, but also so Baekhyun can be aware of where Joonmyun’s bruise is, so he doesn’t hurt him by accident.  
  
“I want to see you,” he murmurs. “You look incredible. I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to keep my hands away from you.”  
  
Their lips connect and their bodies connect, but Baekhyun is gentle, careful not to touch Joonmyun’s bruised hip. He’s holding back, and Joonmyun can tell. Joonmyun crosses his ankles around Baekhyun’s back and ruts up into him impatiently. And then Baekhyun is spilling inside of Joonmyun, breathing heavily against Joonmyun’s sensitive neck in a way that makes Joonmyun tingle all over. Baekhyun’s lips slide against Joonmyun’s cock, and his hot, wet tongue flattens against it, bringing Joonmyun to orgasm not long after his own.  
  
“God, I love you,” Joonmyun gasps.  
  
  
  
  


_DR. KIM’S LOGBOOK, DAY 60:_

  
  
The first two months of the experiment has been extremely successful. J absolutely loves learning words, he’s been learning a few more each day. He knows how to call our names, and he understands “yes” and “no.” He understands that he is more similar to B and me than he is to Byul, that he is a person, not an animal. Although he has occasional relapses in which his feral nature is evident, he has been acting, for the most part, like a human.   
  
  
  
  
“Jongin, it’s time to wake up. Dr. Byun’s gone to work already, and if you stay in bed any longer, you’re going to get a headache.”  
  
Joonmyun tugs gently on Jongin’s shoulder, trying to dislodge him from his sheets.  
  
“Joon...myun…” Jongin groans. His voice is low and rough from sleepiness. “No…”  
  
“Jongin, yes,” Joonmyun laughs.  
  
“Jongin, no,” he replies stubbornly. And then, with his eyes still closed, Jongin’s arms reach around Joonmyun as he grabs him by the waist, pulling him onto the bed.   
  
Joonmyun tries to wriggle out of Jongin’s grip, but he’s holding him too tight. Even when he pounds on Jongin’s back with his fist, Jongin is immovable. He feels a low rumble in Jongin’s chest and realizes that the younger man is laughing. Joonmyun starts laughing, too, and lets Jongin snuggle against him.   
  
Before Joonmyun realizes it, Jongin has flipped him over onto his back. The sudden impact almost knocks the wind out of his lungs. He coughs, and Jongin looks at him with worry.   
  
“Jongin no?” he asks in a hushed voice.  
  
“It’s okay, Jongin. I’m okay.”  
  
He smiles to prove it, and Jongin kisses Joonmyun on the cheek to show that he’s sorry, and that he cares. And then Joonmyun grins wickedly and pushes Jongin over so that he’s the one on top instead. They wrestle with each other on the bed and then on the floor until Joonmyun is knocked into a cabinet. He hisses when he feels a sharp jolt of pain in his knee.  
  
“Ah, Jongin, let’s stop now,” he pants, gingerly stepping to his feet. “Let me get an ice pack, and then we’ll get you dressed, it’s almost noon.”  
  
Even though Jongin has Byul to play with, it’s not enough to keep him exercised and entertained. He had spent most of his life tussling with wolves, and it’s only natural for him to need a more intense outlet to release his energy. So Joonmyun wrestles with him every other day or so to keep him happy—without telling Baekhyun of course, because his boyfriend would be too worried about his safety to allow for it to continue. Jongin is never exactly violent, but his strength and his size make it difficult for Joonmyun to keep up with him. He doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to continue playing with Jongin this way, but he hasn’t yet sustained anything more serious than bruises here and there.  
  
But Baekhyun’s not blind, he notices that there are more and more bruises on Joonmyun’s body each night. He knows that Joonmyun is trying to hide his injuries, and he knows why Joonmyun doesn’t want Baekhyun to know about them. He’s not sure about how Joonmyun wound up battered and bruised, but he can make a good guess. He's just been waiting for Joonmyun to tell him first.   
  
It's hard to wait when Baekhyun can barely hold him in his arms without Joonmyun hissing involuntarily in pain.   
  
  
  
  


_DR. KIM’S LOGBOOK, DAY 100:_

  
  
J is learning at an exponential rate. Over the past few weeks alone, he has learned over a hundred words and even basic sentences. He does not yet seem to have the ability to construct sentences on his own, but he can repeat simple phrases. He has even learned how to set the table, though using chopsticks are still a challenge. Even so, he is learning motor skills at a remarkably fast pace and my guess is that it won't be long before he learns to use chopsticks, too. He has even learned how to toss and catch a frisbee!   
  
  
  
  
No matter what Baekhyun says, Joonmyun can't ignore the fact that he's getting old. Since passing his early twenties, the peak of his youth, Joonmyun has been noticing that it's taken longer for his sore muscles to recover and that he's not as flexible as he used to be.   
  
Most nights, he just wants to fall asleep in Baekhyun's arms, and Baekhyun is considerate enough to let him do just that. But when he does want more than that, it always seems as though Baekhyun is restraining himself, like Joonmyun is too delicate to be manhandled even a bit. Joonmyun isn't as fragile as Baekhyun apparently makes him out to be.   
  
"Baekhyun." Joonmyun pushes his boyfriend away when he tries to kiss at his neck, not so subtly avoiding the rest of his body. "Why won't you touch me?"  
  
Even when he was unclothing him, Baekhyun had been sure to make no more contact with Joonmyun's body than light kisses peppered across his skin.   
  
"W-what are you talking about?"   
  
"Are you afraid of hurting me?"  
  
"Joonmyun, how could I not be afraid of hurting you when you come to bed looking like you've been beaten up?"  
  
"I haven't," Joonmyun mumbles.   
  
"Then what?" Baekhyun asks in desperation. "Is it because of Jongin? Did he do this to you?"  
  
Joonmyun immediately bristles at the accusation. He doesn't like the way that Baekhyun says Jongin's name, as though he's reducing Jongin to an antagonist.   
  
"Please, Joonmyun. I just want to know that you're alright."  
  
"Promise me you won't worry," Joonmyun mumbles.   
  
"I can't promise that."  
  
"I know," Joonmyun sighs. "But don't overreact, okay? I've just been playing with Jongin, and sometimes it gets a little rough and I bump into things."  
  
"Playing?"  
  
"Like, wrestling."  
  
"Oh," Baekhyun breathes in relief. "I assumed a lot worse. Wow."  
  
"Worse?"  
  
"I thought... I thought that Jongin had been lashing out at you, or something. That his feral side was coming out and you were caught as a victim."  
  
"Jongin wouldn't do that. Why would he? He's not an animal."  
  
"You never know."  
  
"Baekhyun!"  
  
"Just be careful, okay? We can't be sure of how much Jongin's childhood trauma and upbringing affected him. He was raised by wolves and has behaved like one for most of his life. You know how strong he is."  
  
"But he'd never hurt me. Not on purpose."  
  
"You can never be too careful."  
  
"God, you still believe he's an animal, don't you?"  
  
"I never said that, Joonmyun, let's not argue about this..."  
  
"I agree," Joonmyun huffs, pulling back the sheets. He swings his legs out of bed and reaches for his pajamas. "I don't want to argue about this, either."  
  
He knows that if they keep discussing the issue, Baekhyun will inevitably try to argue Joonmyun out of his hands-on approach with Jongin. But Jongin isn't a threat, and Joonmyun knows what he's doing. He can protect himself.   
  
It breaks Baekhyun's heart to see Joonmyun's back, torso, and limbs mottled with ugly bruises. He doesn't understand why Joonmyun is willing to put himself in danger and get hurt for the sake of this experiment. For Jongin's sake. It's going to be the end of him, but Joonmyun doesn't seem to realize it yet.   
  
Jongin is still awake when the door creaks open.   
  
"You really are nocturnal, aren't you," Joonmyun says quietly.   
  
Jongin sits up and asks hopefully, "Joonmyun? Bed?"  
  
"Yes, Jongin. Make some room, because I'm coming in."  
  
He snuggles up against Jongin's chest, which is broad and warm and feels so nice against his cheek. Jongin's arms wrap around him, making Joonmyun feel small, but safe.   
  
Jongin whispers so softly that Joonmyun almost misses it, "I...love...Joonmyun."  
  
The confession fills Joonmyun with so many emotions at once. There's the scientific curiosity that Jongin has managed to form a sentence on his own, one that he has never been taught before. And then there's the sudden, overwhelming adoration that Joonmyun feels towards Jongin, the awe that such a pure creature, this beautiful, innocent human being has expressed his love towards him.   
  
Joonmyun feels tears tingling at the back of his eyes as he says, "I love you, too, Jongin."  
  
In the middle of the night, Joonmyun wakes up in a fit of coughs. He sits up, and his body trembles with each cough that squeezes his lungs. His skin prickles with goosebumps, and he considers running back to Baekhyun's bed so that Baekhyun comfort him through his coughing fit.   
  
But Jongin, too, is awake, and he seems to intuitively know what to do. He pats Joonmyun on the back until the coughs subside, and then he reaches for a glass of water on his nightstand.   
  
"Joonmyun? Water?" Jongin asks tentatively.   
  
"Yes. Water, please," Joonmyun croaks, and Jongin hands it to him.   
  
"You're really not such a bad guy," Joonmyun mumbles after downing the glass. "We've just got to prove it to Baekhyun, don't we."  
  
Joonmyun falls asleep with his lips pressed to Jongin's collarbone and wakes up in the same position. But when he reaches blindly for the glass of water, it's gone. In its place is a note that reads, "Coupon: one free pancake breakfast." And on the back, "I'm sorry."  
  
Baekhyun hums to himself as he nudges at the globs of pancake batter in the frying pan. Bubbles of hot oil burst and pop as he flips them expertly onto a platter.   
  
"Hey! You're awake," he says, seeing Joonmyun lingering in the doorway, Jongin just behind him. "Just in time, too. I was going to come wake you up. What kind of syrup do you want?"  
  
Joonmyun doesn't answer, just closes the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun. His nose presses into Baekhyun's cheek as he seeks his lips. Baekhyun kisses him tenderly, and Jongin watches, wondering why he doesn't get to kiss Joonmyun like that.   
  
"I hate arguing," Joonmyun mumbles. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No hard feelings. Just be careful, okay? I was just worried about you, but if you think you can handle Jongin..."  
  
"I'll take care of myself, don't worry."  
  
"I trust you." Baekhyun takes off his apron and hangs it on a peg nailed to the wall. "I have to go to work now, but I'll bring back something for dinner. Anything you want?"  
  
"We haven't had fried chicken in a while. Jongin loves fried chicken."  
  
"Fried chicken it is, then," Baekhyun grins. He carries two plates over to the dining table, where Jongin has set up forks, knives, and glasses filled with orange juice. He picks up his glass and gulps it quickly before kissing Joonmyun on the cheek. "See you later."  
  
He ruffles Jongin's hair and scratches Byul's ears when the dog trots into the foyer to greet him.   
  
"Ah, Jongin, it looks like Dr. Byun isn't going to eat breakfast with us this morning. You can put his fork and knife away," Joonmyun says.  
  
Jongin shuffles sleepily, filing the utensils back in the silverware cabinet.   
  
"So, what do you want to do today?" Joonmyun asks excitedly once his own plate is clean.   
  
"Mmnnff?" Jongin grunts around a mouthful of pancake.   
  
"Sorry, I should have waited for you to finish eating," Joonmyun laughs. "Anyways, I bought some buckets of paint and a giant roll of paper a few days ago, so maybe we could try painting today! Yes, Jongin?"  
  
"Yes, Jongin," Jongin repeats. Joonmyun beams at him, and he smiles back.   
  
Joonmyun rolls out a large sheet of paper on their patio and dispenses blobs of red, yellow, blue, purple, and pink onto paper plates. He shows Jongin how to hold the paint brush, dip it into the paint, and swipe it across the paper. Though Jongin has no concept of form or composition, he has the time of his life splashing colors across the pale canvas.   
  
"Heart," Joonmyun says, pointing to a large red heart he had painted on the corner of the paper. Jongin looks over, and Joonmyun repeats the word, pointing to the left side of his own chest. "Heart."  
  
"H...heart?" Jongin tries the word out, and Joonmyun nods eagerly. "Heart," Jongin repeats. He points at the painted heart and then at his own chest. "Heart?"  
  
"Yes, Jongin. You're so smart."   
  
He leans in to kiss Jongin on the cheek, and Jongin turns his head so that Joonmyun's lips land on his mouth instead. Joonmyun looks at him in surprise. "Jongin!" he giggles nervously. "Why'd you–"  
  
Joonmyun is interrupted by Byul's alarmed yip when he accidentally steps into a puddle of paint. He retreats onto the canvas, leaving a trail of colorful paw prints across the paper. Jongin watches in interest and then dips his own hands into the paint to leave purple and red handprints all over the canvas.   
  
And then he turns to Joonmyun and places his hands on his cheeks.   
  
"Jongin!" Joonmyun shrieks. He dips his thumb into the blue paint and smears it across Jongin's forehead.   
  
Jongin laughs, his mouth stretching wide, and he snakes his hand under Joonmyun's shirt to rub paint on his belly and chest.   
  
"Is that how you want to play?"  
  
"Play!" Jongin repeats happily.   
  
Their shirts end up in a wrinkled pile in the corner of the patio, as they splash and splatter colors onto each other. There's a bright red Joonmyun-shaped print in the middle of the canvas, and Jongin resembles a Pollock by the time they clean up the mess. Byul, who is cowering in the corner the entire time, remains miraculously clean despite the warfare between the two men.   
  
Jongin is soaped, shampooed, and rinsed off first in the shower. Multicolored foam swirls down the drain, and Joonmyun tries to usher Jongin out of the stall to wrap him in a towel.   
  
But Jongin doesn't budge. He grips Joonmyun's waist in his palms and brings him closer. Joonmyun's eyes widen, cracking the red paint crusted on his forehead.   
  
"Heart," Jongin says, picking up Joonmyun's hand and holding it to his chest. Joonmyun gasps softly when he feels in his fingertips how heavily and rapidly Jongin's heart is pounding. "I love...Joonmyun."  
  
Jongin cups Joonmyun's chin in his hand and tilts his head, slotting their mouths together.   
  
"Where did you learn how to do that?" Joonmyun asks in astonishment.   
  
"I want...Joonmyun," Jongin whispers hoarsely.  
  
"Jongin, we can't–"  
  
But Jongin is pinning up against the wall by the wrists, kissing him again. Joonmyun hears and feels a low growl in Jongin's chest, and he struggles against Jongin's hold, trying to break free. Jongin thinks he's trying to wrestle with him, that he's playing, so Jongin pushes back, unyielding.   
  
"Jongin! No!" Joonmyun cries out, and Jongin realizes that he's done something wrong. He loosens his grip, and Joonmyun finally wrestles free. But he slips on the suds underfoot and falls, knocking his head against the edge of the tub on his way down.   
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun returns home from work early, whistling to himself as he unlaces his shoes.   
  
"Hey Byul," he greets when the dog jumps into his arms. But then Byul starts barking at him, tugging at the hem of his pants as though he's trying to lead him somewhere. "Do you have something to show me, buddy?"  
  
Byul leads Baekhyun to the bathroom, where Joonmyun is sprawled in the bathtub, unconscious. There are ribbons of red streaking the liquid around his body, and his chest is rising and falling, but barely.   
  
Baekhyun immediately dials the emergency operator, and within minutes, blaring sirens stop outside of their house to collect Joonmyun's body. Meanwhile, Jongin is hiding in his room, huddled under his sheets, too terrified to even move.   
  
Joonmyun wakes up to an unfamiliar ceiling and a throbbing headache.   
  
"Joonmyun! You're awake!" The words rush out of Baekhyun's lungs as relief washes over his tense body.   
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You tell me," Baekhyun laughs nervously. "I found you unconscious in the bathtub. It looked like you had been mauled by a wild animal, but the nurse told me it was just paint."  
  
"Oh. Right." The events of the past few hours suddenly come back to Joonmyun. "I, um, fell in the shower."  
  
Baekhyun frowns. "Did Jongin have something to do with it?"  
  
"Baekhyun–"  
  
"Please, Joonmyun, I just want to know what happened."  
  
"I mean, he was in the shower with me, but it was just an accident! He didn't mean to hurt me!"  
  
"Joonmyun, I know he isn't trying to hurt you on purpose, but he doesn't have any control over himself, and someday you're going to be seriously hurt, and I don't ever want to see that happen."  
  
"Baekhyun...what are you saying..."  
  
"I called that man, Wu Yifan, and I told him that I didn't think we would be able to take care of Jongin anymore. I asked him if he could help me return Jongin back to the woods."  
  
"You would take him back to the woods?"  
  
"He grew up there."  
  
"Yes, but he's different now! He won't belong if he returns. He's a human, not an animal. And he can learn how to control himself if we give him time."  
  
"But for how much longer are you going to be able to put your safety at risk? Joonmyun, listen to me, I think we've gathered enough data on this experiment to form some valid conclusions. I don't know how long you were planning to continue this study, but it was going to end at some point or another. Why not end it now before it kills you."  
  
Joonmyun doesn't know when he stopped thinking about Jongin as an experiment. Maybe he never thought of him that way to begin with.   
  
"Baekhyun..." But Baekhyun just presses his lips together, and Joonmyun knows that there’s no use in arguing. Baekhyun has a point, neither of them can really control Jongin, despite how much Joonmyun hopes that they are able to civilize him. Joonmyun also feels guilty for what could have happened, what almost happened, after Jongin had kissed him. “Fine, just...wait until I get discharged from the hospital, okay? I’ll be out soon, just after I see my doctor.”  
  
Baekhyun blinks in surprise. He hadn’t expected Joonmyun to give in so easily. He’s not sure if he wanted him to, because Baekhyun doesn’t hate Jongin. Far from it. He doesn’t want to see Jongin go, because that would be upsetting to Joonmyun. But he hates watching Joonmyun collect more bruises each day, unable to do anything about it. They’re in a relationship, so they have to take care of each other, protect one another. Make each other happy.   
  
He had almost hoped that Joonmyun would argue him out of taking Jongin back into the woods, because he didn’t want to do something that would clearly make Joonmyun unhappy. But Joonmyun isn’t resisting, and Baekhyun feels as though he has no other choice. It’s for Joonmyun’s sake, Baekhyun reminds himself.   
  
The doctor asks Baekhyun to leave the room when it’s time to check up on Joonmyun.  
  
“Dr. Kim,” he says, “we noticed a lot of bruises on your body during your physical examination. What exactly happened when you had your accident?”  
  
“I fell in the shower,” Joonmyun responds easily. “I’m getting pretty old, maybe it’s time to invest in those no-slip grips,” he jokes.  
  
The doctor frowns and says, “Some of those contusions are several days old. Is everything alright at home?”  
  
Realization dawns upon Joonmyun, and he explains, “I’m just really clumsy, don’t worry!”  
  
“Please understand that we take domestic violence very seriously. If you’re in a bad situation, I promise we can help you put yourself out of danger. I know that many individuals worry that reporting abuse will make it even worse, but we have experts that will help you escape and recover.”  
  
“Yes, and I appreciate that very much,” Joonmyun says, “but there’s really nothing of concern. I just have a large...pet at home that I play with frequently, and sometimes it gets a little rough and tumble, I’m sure you understand.”  
  
He smiles, though his heart is breaking at the thought of Jongin.   
  
“Very well,” the doctor responds. “I understand. I hope you’ll watch out for yourself."  
  
"I will," Joonmyun promises. "Thank you for your concern."  
  
Baekhyun returns holding a plastic bag with a change of clothes for Joonmyun. "So you don't have to wear your hospital gown," he explains.  
  
"I came here naked, didn't I..."  
  
"You were covered in a blanket the whole time, I made sure of that," Baekhyun says, earning a grin. "And I gave you a sponge bath myself to get the paint off," he adds proudly.   
  
"I think you missed a spot," Joonmyun frowns, peering into the crook of his elbow.   
  
"Where?" Baekhyun leans in, and Joonmyun catches his chin in his hands. He closes his eyes and kisses him. "Oh," Baekhyun says, blinking dumbly.   
  
"Thanks for taking care of me," Joonmyun whispers.   
  
"Y-yeah," Baekhyun answers.   
  
  
  
  
He has the body of a man and the vitality of a wolf, but Jongin looks almost like a child, scared and confused, when he's strapped into the backseat of Baekhyun's car.   
  
"Be good, okay?" Joonmyun tells him, smiling through his tears. He kisses Jongin on the cheek and squeezes his hand. "I'm going to miss you, Jongin."  
  
"Joonmyun?" Jongin asks, pulling on his hand.   
  
"Sorry, I can't come with you, Jongin. But Baekhyun's going to take you back home, okay?"  
  
"Home?"  
  
"Yeah. Home."  
  
Jongin points to the window, where their house is in view. "Home?" he asks.   
  
Joonmyun just shakes his head sadly, biting on his lip. Hot tears brim his eyes, fogging his glasses with steam.   
  
And then the car is pulling out of the driveway, leaving Joonmyun and Byul on the asphalt. Byul chases after the car until his short legs can’t keep up, and Joonmyun calls for him so they can return home.   
  
He pulls Byul into his lap and scratches his ears idly while entering one last entry into his journal.  
  
  
  
  


_DR. KIM’S LOGBOOK, DAY 101:_

  
  
After a little over three months of running this experiment, I have decided to end it for personal reasons. I have not yet determined if I will publish my findings, but it has certainly opened up questions for further exploration.   
  
  
  
  
Baekhyun feels uneasy from the minute he presses his heel into the gas pedal and his home disappears from his sight. He reminds himself that this is what Joonmyun wants, or that Joonmyun is at least okay with it. Baekhyun should be okay with it too, because it means that Joonmyun will be out of harm’s way. But Baekhyun can’t shake the feeling that he’s doing something wrong by separating Jongin from Joonmyun.   
  
He glances back at the rear view mirror, and his heart immediately sinks when he catches sight of Jongin. Baekhyun parks the car by the side of the road, and for a minute, just watches Jongin’s reflection in the mirror. Jongin’s eyes are bleary and tears are streaming down his cheeks. His breaths stutter in his chest, and he hiccups as he tries to wipe his tears away. Jongin looks up, and his eyes meet Baekhyun’s. And in that moment, Baekhyun realizes that Jongin isn’t simply mimicking the actions of those around him. Jongin feels genuine emotions and has a real sense of empathy and understanding that allows him, on some level, to know what’s happening to him.   
  
Baekhyun looks in Jongin’s eyes and sees an infinitely gentle, infinitely suffering thing that reminds him of what it means to be human.   
  
  
  
  
“Joonmyun, we’re home,” Baekhyun calls out. There’s no response, so Baekhyun tiptoes into the living room, leading Jongin by the wrist. They find Joonmyun napping on the sofa in fetal position. It hurts Baekhyun’s heart to see him curled up that way as it makes him seem so much smaller, so much more vulnerable somehow.  
  
“Go kiss him,” Baekhyun whispers to Jongin.  
  
“Kiss? Joonmyun?”  
  
“Yeah,” Baekhyun laughs. “Go ahead, he’ll love it.”  
  
Joonmyun’s eyes are still red from crying when he wakes up to a kiss on the cheek from Jongin. “What are you...” he begins to mumble. “Jongin?”  
  
Jongin grins, and Joonmyun sits up, rubbing his eyes as though he isn’t sure he’s seeing correctly. When he realizes that Jongin is actually there, he throws his arms around Jongin and sobs into his shoulder. They both collapse onto the cushions, and Joonmyun ends up sitting in Jongin’s lap.  
  
“Baekhyun?” he asks, finally looking up at his boyfriend, who is lingering in the doorway. “Baekhyun, why did you…?”  
  
“You didn’t really want me to take him back to the woods, did you?” Baekhyun asks in response, approaching the sofa. He sits next to them and holds onto Joonmyun’s hand.  
  
“I mean, no, but...why did you bring him back?”  
  
“He doesn’t belong in the woods, at least not anymore. He belongs with us.”  
  
“Yeah,” Joonmyun breathes. “You’re right. But the reason why I wanted you to take him back was…” More tears spill past his eyelashes, and he takes a deep breath before continuing. “I love him, Baekhyun. I love him...the same way I love you. And he loves me the same way, too, I think. He tried to kiss me, and I almost...I’m sorry, Baekhyun.”  
  
“Hey, no, it’s okay, Joonmyun. Don’t cry.” Baekhyun squeezes Joonmyun’s hand in both of his and brings it to his lips. He kisses the back of Joonmyun’s hand and finds himself saying, “It’s okay, Joonmyun. It’s okay. I’m okay with it.”  
  
“Wait...you’re okay with it?” Joonmyun sniffles. “You’re okay with me loving you and Jongin the same way?”  
  
“Yeah,” Baekhyun says a little uncertainly. “I think I am. Besides, it would be selfish of me to keep you all for myself, wouldn’t it?”  
  
Joonmyun laughs croakily, and Baekhyun thinks that there’s really nothing better than seeing his smile.  
  
  
  
  
The three of them wind up in Joonmyun and Baekhyun’s bedroom, with Joonmyun sandwiched between the two men as Jongin kisses him and Baekhyun unfastens his shirt from behind. Joonmyun is carried onto the bed by the two of them, and he watches as Baekhyun unbuttons Jongin’s shirt and unzips his pants. He can feel a heaviness growing between his legs at the sight of Baekhyun’s fist working Jongin to full hardness. Jongin’s plush lips are parted in a moan, and his eyes are sharp, as though some animalistic instinct has been awoken in him.  
  
And then Baekhyun is between Joonmyun’s legs, lifting his hips from the mattress to guide a slippery finger into his entrance. He curls a second finger, and then another, inside of him so slowly that Joonmyun covers his mouth with his arm, and then bites on it, just trying not to scream. Finally, when Joonmyun is slick and ready, Baekhyun helps him onto his hands and knees.   
  
Baekhyun soothes him with kisses as Jongin thrusts into him from behind. Jongin’s hands have a tight grip on Joonmyun’s hips, and Joonmyun moans into Baekhyun’s mouth every time Jongin pushes all the way in. Jongin’s drive is hasty and impatient, but Baekhyun’s pace is languid in contrast. He kisses Joonmyun slowly and sensually as he rubs his thumb along Joonmyun’s heavy cock.   
  
Joonmyun’s whole body is trembling from overstimulation, and his arms shake so hard that he can’t even hold himself upright anymore. He collapses onto his stomach, and Baekhyun rolls him onto his side so that Jongin can still take him from behind while Baekhyun kisses and touches him from the front. It’s too much all at once, and Joonmyun just shudders and moans as Baekhyun finally picks up his pace and jerks him off to completion. He tightens around Jongin, who spills into him not much later.  
  
And then Jongin is on his hands and knees, licking up the whitish liquid dripping onto Joonmyun’s ass and thighs, while Baekhyun playfully tweaks Joonmyun’s nipples, causing him to cry out from hypersensitivity. Baekhyun is usually so gentle and so tender with Joonmyun, but having Jongin there brings out a much more exciting side of him.   
  
He pushes his own cock into Joonmyun’s mouth, and Joonmyun’s eyes tear up, but he doesn’t protest. And then Jongin is the one trailing soft kisses up his spine as Baekhyun thrusts into his mouth, pulling out just before he spills across the sheets.   
  
Surprisingly, the shower stall can fit all three of the men as they giggle and blow foam at each other. When Joonmyun almost slips on a bar of soap, two pairs of arms are there to steady him, to hold him close until his heartbeat calms.   
  
Three pairs of feet peek out from under a quilt as Joonmyun falls asleep holding onto the two people he loves the most.   
  
  



End file.
